Top Yarn Cake Picks for Purchase in 2025
In the world of knitting and crocheting, yarn cakes have become a popular choice among enthusiasts. These compact, circular bundles of yarn offer several advantages over traditional balls, making them an attractive option for a variety of projects.
Firstly, yarn cakes hold more yarn than standard balls, particularly useful with finer yarns. This means you often only need one cake for a project instead of multiple balls.
Secondly, most yarn cakes feature a centre-pull, allowing yarn to be easily pulled from the middle. This prevents the cake from rolling around as you work, providing smoother and less tangled yarn delivery.
Thirdly, yarn cakes allow you to see the entire range of colors in self-striping or gradient yarns. This is not possible with regular balls where colors are hidden inside. This feature aids in planning color transitions, making it easier to manage the flow of colors in your project.
Fourthly, yarn cakes are flat and stable, making them easier to handle and carry when knitting or crocheting on the go. They don’t roll away or take up much space, enhancing portability.
Moreover, although yarn cakes may be slightly more expensive individually, their larger quantity of yarn and versatility often provide better overall value for larger projects.
Scheepjes Whirl Yarn Cakes, for instance, are a blend of 60% cotton and 40% acrylic. They are lightweight and breathable, making them ideal for lacy crochet shawls. They also have long beautiful color changes and can be combined with Scheepjes Whirlette yarn.
Unique Yarns Plastic Yarn Cakes, made from 100% recycled plastic bottles, are another option. They come in five colors and are great for projects that need to be strong and sturdy. They also offer a slightly translucent effect.
Lion Brand Mandala Yarn Cakes are a 100% acrylic yarn available in various color combinations. They are machine washable, tumble dryer safe, and can be dry cleaned, making them suitable for a wide range of projects. They are great for projects that require clear stripes.
King Cole Harvest DK yarn cakes are another DK yarn cake with more natural and calming tones. They contain 535 meters of yarn and have slight variations in color. They also have 10% alpaca fibers, making them softer.
Cotton Kings Sultan Deluxe Yarn Cakes are a 100% cotton 4ply yarn with long color changes. They are OEKO-TEX certified, ensuring they are free from harmful substances.
Lang Yarns Paradise Sport yarn cakes are a blend of 78% Cotton and 22% Viscose. They are a sport weight yarn with 13 stonewashed style color variegations.
McIntosh Calm DK Yarn Cakes are a blend of 80% Extra Fine Merino and 20% pure Cashmere. They are soft, luxurious, and perfect for those seeking a more premium yarn experience.
Many designs for projects such as shawls have been specifically designed to be made with just a single yarn cake. Yarn cakes can be a great choice for shawl or scarf projects due to their compact size, ease of use, and ability to contain more yarn than yarn balls, especially with finer yarns.
In conclusion, yarn cakes offer several benefits over traditional yarn balls, including improved yarn quantity management, ease of use, portability, and color planning. They are particularly favorable for projects involving gradient or self-striping yarns. Many knitters and crocheters find yarn cakes fun to work with, making them a popular choice among enthusiasts.
- Yarn cakes, like the Cotton Kings Sultan Deluxe Yarn Cakes, are attractive for various projects due to their larger quantity of yarn, especially useful with finer yarns.
- The unique center-pull feature of yarn cakes, as seen in the Lang Yarns Paradise Sport yarn cakes, prevents yarn tangling and provides smooth yarn delivery.
- Yarn cakes, such as the Scheepjes Whirl Yarn Cakes, allow crafters to fully appreciate the color transitions in self-striping or gradient yarns, aiding in color management.
- The portability of yarn cakes, such as the King Cole Harvest DK yarn cakes, makes them easier to handle and carry for handmade crafts, whether it's knitting, crocheting, or shopping for fashion-and-beauty, food-and-drink, home-and-garden, or simply enjoying leisure activities.
